Nursing Care and Treatment for People With Ulcers, 7.5 credits

Professional qualification as a nurse certified by the National Board of Health and Welfare. Alternatively, current enrollment at the Specialist Nursing Program at Karolinska Institutet.

The general aim of the course is for the student to deepen his/her knowledge and skills in the area of wound healing/wound treatment in acute and intractable wounds.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- Understand and distinguish the phases of normal wound healing, and draw conclusions about the factors that affect these
- Identify and reflect on healing inhibitory factors that affect wound healing
- Explain risk factors and formation mechanisms of acute and intractable wounds
- Reflect on and assess the effect of life quality and psychosocial aspects on healing progress in patients with acute and intractable wounds
- Identify and suggest preventive measures based on research and evidence based methods
- Apply evidence based knowledge of formation mechanisms and wound status to be able to choose, analyse and document nursing therapy based on a holistic perspective of the patient.

The course covers:
- Normal wound healing
- Risk factors and origin
- Formation mechanisms in acute and intractable wounds
- Nursing measures in wound treatment
- Hygienic principles in wound healing
- Quality of life - psychosocial aspects on wounds and wound treatment
- Documentation
- Patient education and current research and development
- Practical exercises with Doppler diagnostics and compression treatment

The teaching is based on a problem-oriented and collaborative approach to learning, in which the tasks provide opportunities for the student to take active responsibility for their learning. The used teaching methods are lectures, group discussions, proficiency training and individual studies. Teaching methods such as individual study assignments, work in groups and seminars also occur.

Participation in seminars and group work is compulsory. The course coordinator decides whether, and if so how, absence from compulsory course elements can be made up. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in compulsory course elements or compensated for any absence in accordance with instructions from the course coordinator.
 

The examination is carried out by an individual written examination.

Students who do not pass a regular examination are entitled to re-sit the examination on five more occasions. A student without an approved result after three examinations can be offered to retake the course or parts of it once more; subject to availability. . If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination is given. Each occasion the student participates in the same test counts as an examination. Submission of a blank exam paper is regarded as an examination. In case a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, this is not regarded as an examination.
 

Course evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established by the Board of Education.